It's finally got cold here. Not very cold, but cold enough to feel a bit wintery. It's been raining all day today and I suddenly got the urge to make our house a bit christmassy. Unfortunately we don't have much by way of decorations. I scrounged up all the lights we've been gifted over the years and some left over ribbons and twigs. And now our house is much brighter, but my sister is not amused. She thinks it looks like a circus.
Whatever. I like lights!

my room





living room

It's a year later. We may have a different government (finally!), but we still have the same police force and no one has forgotten.

I went to the midday march in memory and (eternal) protest. I must say that I was pleasantly amazed by the amount of people that showed up despite the atmosphere of intimidation the police have been trying to enforce. I managed to conclude the march and return home unscathed, after inhaling only the requisite amount of teargas. I must say that this new teargas (bought from Israel I heard) is much better than the last. It doesn't sting nearly as much and it clears from the air in only a fraction of the time the old stuff used to. God job to the Israelis!




After I left, all hell broke loose.

Remember the cake I was talking about yesterday? I finished it. It turned out rather messy, but it tasted fine! I'm very happy. I foresee a cake filled future for me. Just as soon as I get 1. some round cake tins 2. a cake tray 3. a spatula.




ps. Notice my crazy 70s kitchen tiles! I have similar style (but blue of course) in the bathroom. Hooray for old-fashioned tiles!

It's been ages since I've felt up to posting. I spent most of the summer depressed, annoyed and tired. Even my holidays turned out to be a tiring and at times frustrating hike through the greek islands. I had never been to so many islands over a three-week period! I had never taken so many consecutive boats and buses during such a short period. I had never had so many things go wrong!

So when september came I was anything but rested. September and October I passed the time being largely blue. By November I remembered I was supposed to be taking part in hp_yule_balls ! I have never been so frustrated while writing a story before, but with a small extension I managed to get it finished in time!

So that's what I've been up to. Not very interesting and not much fun.

And today is my sister's birthday and I'm baking my first cake! There is so much room for thing going terribly wrong! I have so far baked the cake that looks ok, even though it's rectangular. I didn't have a round cake tin. I just realised I don't have a large dish to put my weird square cake in! I should pop to the supermarket to see if I can find anything. And then I have to glaze it! The glaze is setting in the fridge.

I used to be far better at drawing than I was at writing. Somehow studying architecture sidetracked me into a whole different kind of drawing and I stopped sketching and doodling. I thought I'd use 30 Days of Neville over at xnevillelovingx  as an excuse to start drawing again. I went and got myself some new art stuff - I even got the rotring calligraphy pen I'd been coveting. But alas, it's not like riding a bike! I'm not very happy with the result, but it is a beginning. Maybe now I'll slowly remember how to draw again. (And avoid making stupid mistakes I should have known about, like using the wrong type of paper.)

Day:  22
Title: In His Natural Habitat
Artist:  mayfly_78 
Media: ink and felt-tip pens on paper and a bit of photoshop tweaking
Rating: G
Pairing(s): If you look really hard you might see a Neville/Draco
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction set in the Harry Potter universe – all recognisable characters and settings are the property of J. K. Rowling and her associates. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is made from this work. Please observe your local laws with regards to the age-limit and content of this work.
Warning(s): bad art?
Artist's Notes: This could be concidered an illustration for my story Like A Flower to the Sun. It's my first attempt at fan-art. It's been so long since I've drawn anything but buildings and cityscapes that I've completely forgotten how to draw people! Please forgive me?



 

(click on image to see bigger)

The week-end that past I went to Loutraki. Loutraki is a small sea-side town very near Athens famous for it's spring water (which the rest of Greece buys in bottles), it's therapeutic spas (actually I found most of them closed, what a waste!) and recently, it's casino.

I was rather disappointed. For some reason I had imagined Loutraki to be the Greek equivalent of Bath in the UK. It turned out to be more similar to Blackpool. And even then, far uglier. Not a fancy hotel or old stately building in sight! Everything was tall utilitarian modern blocks...

However I had a good time. It's the company, not the location, that's most important. And I was in good company. I swam, I ate, I took photos and caught up with friends. All in all a worthwhile trip.

However, on the way to a nearby monastery I came across this little gem:



Ironic Post-Modernism in the greek countryside? It brought to mind this iconic building:

In February I mentioned taking part in a Carnival AlleyCat Race held by the team 'local'. It was so much fun that when I heard about the Seaside AlleyCat Race the Sunday that past, I had to take part in that one too!

I must say that it was exhausting! But also exhilarating. It was much harder than the February one, this time we did 36 kilometres! And took a boat to an island. If I didn't take two big breaks in the middle, I wouldn't have made it. But I did, and I have been feeling very smug and proud of myself ever since.

For those who know Athens and would like to know this times itinerary:
Start point Athens 1st Cemetary - Mets
1st checkpoint Tom's Corner - Plaka
2nd checkpoint Nea Smyrni Park - Nea Smyrni
3rd checkpoint "Freed" Beach in Elliniko (here I took a half an hour break)
4th checkpoint Faliro Square - Paleo Faliro
5th checkpoint Ticket Office for boats to Aigina - Piraeus (here we all took a one hour break
while on the boat)
Finish point Perdika Beach - Aigina

Sunday evening I went to a couple of free concerts held within the bounds of the second Athens Biennale. They where held along the Athens coastline of Palaio Faliro. It's an interesting part of Athens. You have the sea - and even a couple of sandy beaches where people swim -, you have pedestrian paths and cafeterias and playgrounds and marinas and you also have the tramway separating you from the littoral main road. I didn't take my bulky camera so I ended up taking photos and videos with my mobile. The turned out suitably crappy, but I'll show you them anyway.

( beware of grainy photos and videos! )

So on Saturday I went to the Athens Gay Pride. I have so many gay friends that it only made sense to go. When I was in Paris for two years I went to both Prides and I remember how much fun they were. A crazy multicoloured street-party. Unfortunately in Greece everything is more sedate. Comparatively it was rather boring. Very few people came - most greek gays are deep in the closet and live in fear of their parents finding out. Things however are changing. The teenagers of today are nothing like we were. In some things they are much more courageous - it certainly helps that their parents are also nothing like ours...

A lot of straight friends and aquaintances showed up that I thought wouldn't. I even saw a guy from university I alway thought was cute kissing his boyfriend. I never knew he was gay. It stands to reason that all the cute ones are.

Monday was a bank holiday and the weather is hot. So I did what all reasonable Athenians do under the circumstances. I escaped – briefly – from the sweltering hell-hole that is our metropolis. 

I went camping! Under the pine trees in Agkistri. It’s a sweet island, very convenient for short getaways. Only two hours from Piraeus by boat and the pine forest that is used as a free camping site is an easy walk from the port. 

( every silver lining has a cloud )

Back in Athens it’s hot hot hot. And I’m bored bored bored at my job. On the upside I have a dance class this afternoon (one of the few things I truly enjoy during my week). And the weekend is approaching again!

 

Title: Past, Present, Future
Author: mayfly_78
Pairing: Draco/Snape, Draco/Neville
Rating: G (friendship, pre-slash)
Word Count: 10,500
Summary: Draco can't help remembering the past and Neville can't help giving second chances.
Notes: This story was written forelpin  for hp_spring_fling  2009. Many thanks to my lovely beta raisinous_fiend , without whom I couldn’t have managed. She is the reason this story is coherent at all, and the reason it has proper tenses and enough commas, all remaining mistakes are all mine.
Disclaimer: Obviously none of the characters or the details that can be recognised are mine. They are all JK Rowling's. I am just borrowing them to play.

Title: Past, Present, Future
Author: mayfly_78
Pairing: Draco/Snape, Draco/Neville
Rating: G (friendship, pre-slash)
Word Count: 10,500
Summary: Draco can't help remembering the past and Neville can't help giving second chances.
Notes: This story was written for  elpin  for  hp_spring_fling  2009. Many thanks to my lovely beta raisinous_fiend , without whom I couldn’t have managed. She is the reason this story is coherent at all, and the reason it has proper tenses and enough commas, all remaining mistakes are all mine.
Disclaimer: Obviously none of the characters or the details that can be recognised are mine. They are all JK Rowling's. I am just borrowing them to play.

Title: Past, Present, Future
Author: mayfly_78
Pairing: Draco/Snape, Draco/Neville
Rating: G (friendship, pre-slash)
Word Count: 10,500
Summary: Draco can't help remembering the past and Neville can't help giving second chances.
Notes: This story was written for elpin  for hp_spring_fling  2009. Many thanks to my lovely beta raisinous_fiend , without whom I couldn’t have managed. She is the reason this story is coherent at all, and the reason it has proper tenses and enough commas, all remaining mistakes are all mine.
Disclaimer: Obviously none of the characters or the details that can be recognised are mine. They are all JK Rowling's. I am just borrowing them to play.

( past present future - part 2 )

Another story of mine became 'featured story' over at Sycophant Hex! What nice news!

It was a story I wrote for hp_spring_fling. Unfortunately my story was a bit out of sync with the rest of the fest and wasn't received so well. I wrote a very very pg friendship fic for a predominantly romantic fest, so I only have myself to blame.

However, I am quite happy with my story and it was remiss of me not to post it here earlier.

Title: Past, Present, Future
Author: mayfly_78
Pairing: Draco/Snape, Draco/Neville
Rating: G (friendship, pre-slash)
Word Count: 10,500
Summary: Draco can't help remembering the past and Neville can't help giving second chances.
Notes: This story was written for elpin  for hp_spring_fling  2009. Many thanks to my lovely beta raisinous_fiend , without whom I couldn’t have managed. She is the reason this story is coherent at all, and the reason it has proper tenses and enough commas, all remaining mistakes are all mine.
Disclaimer: Obviously none of the characters or the details that can be recognised are mine. They are all JK Rowling's. I am just borrowing them to play.

 

( past present future - part 1 )

 

Now that the hot weather has arrived, things are happening. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you can find plenty of (free) ways to amuse yourself in this city.

Last week the alternative political newspaper Babylonia had it's festival. Unfortunately I wasn't up too it, so all I did was go to Friday's concert - which was very good.

On Sunday the group What Street Party organised a - yes, that's right - Street Party. It was a movable one. Starting from four in the evening it moved all around Athens, going to fixed check points at fixed times so you could find them. We met them up at nine o'clock at night when the were in the paved street beside the Law School. After walking, and riding our bikes, through the streets dancing and following the dj's on their home-made float, we ended up high up on Lycabyttos Hill. It was quite an experience. Dancing under the street lights, high up above Athens with all the lights of the city below us! I had to leave early (about one o'clock) because I was working next day. I hopped on my bike and whizzed down the hill, In less than twenty minutes I was home!


What Street Party #5 - 1st video (obviously the video isn't mine)

It's friday already, and I never got round to taking about last week-end! I've been too busy sleeping and watching Dr Who (I'm on season 3 and there are some brilliant episodes on it!)

This weekend I'm hoping to go camping. But that's to come...

Last weekend I did all manner of stuff.

I went shopping by bike. And got loads of stuff. A new hat, spices, soap flakes, essential oils, organic fertiliser and that's all I remember.

I played around with my plants. I re-potted my long suffering basil that's has turned into a freak because I don't know how to prune. I planted some potatoes that just grew shoots yesterday. I planted some basil cuttings too, I'm growing my own army of basil plants!

I made myself some all-purpose green soap base from olive oil soap flakes, olive oil and water. I plan on using the base to make shampoo, cleaning liquid, dish-washing detergent. Also I made myself some homemade hair-conditioner. Lets see how it all works!

Also I cooked. Well, I always cook, but this time I took photos:



If you want the recipe, go here

It's so hot! And all the flowers are out, and haven't died yet. So I'm suffering twice as much. I'm in a state because of my hay-fever and I'm forced to work in this weather, which will just get worse and worse and worse. August is so far away!

The weather and my hay-fever have done such a number on me that I'm skipping half my dance classes. And when I do go, I get dizzy half the way through.

But I've got plans! Big plans! (If the heat lets me go through with them and I don't end up spending all my time flat on my back trying to catch the breeze.) I've bought ingredients - and I've others yet to buy - to make my own cosmetics and cleaning liquids. I'll keep you posted!

Also I've got plans for my little balcony-cum-garden. ( (details) )

In keeping with the whole domestic image I've got going on I cooked a traditional greek dish earlier today.


Do you want the recipe?

Sunday I took part in a cycling protest ride. Imagine 5.000 bikes filling the centre of Athens! It was wonderful and we were so many and of so many ages. Especially impressive were the parents with toddlers in special chairs.



Unfortunately I forgot to put a hat on and it was hot and sunny. I think I got heatstroke or sunstroke. I'm still feeling it a bit.

Want to know what I did the Sunday that past? I went on a cycling treasure hunt! It was a lot of fun!

We were divided into groups and each given a list of 17 riddles. The answer to each riddle was a location in the center of Athens that we then had to find and photograph. The starting point of the treasure hunt was the park at the corner of Patission str and Kuprou str in Kupseli and the finish point was the park at the corner of Zoodohou Pigis str and Nauarinou str in Exarcheia. Both are parks that are being planted and sustained by the inhabitants of the neighbourhoods despite the mayor wanting to turn them into parking lots.

I spent about three and a half hours cycling backwards and forwards all over Athens, learning about places I'd never been and constantly bumping into the other groups that were also searching for the locations. It made Athens feel so small and so interesting.

Of course afterwards I felt accomplished and very very tired!

For those of you who know greek here are the riddles. How many can you answer? With a little cheating we got 16 out of 17. We didn't go too bad. Here are the results. We were the Fantastic Four.

Another thing I did over Easter was use my easter present money from work to buy myself a d-slr camera. Now I am no longer camera-less! I splashed out and got the Olympus E-410 with two zoom lenses (it was on offer). It's a super-cute super-small d-slr! unfortunately it's also rather complicated (I haven't finished reading the manual yet), and I am having a bit of trouble with the manual focus too.

But anyway, I'm happy about it!

I checked it out over the holidays and took a bunch of mediocre test photos. Want to see a couple?

( photos )